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Earth Observation
Without most people knowing it,
Earth Observation (EO) has become
an important part of their lives. Our
planet is constantly being monitored,
measured and analyzed by universities,
weather services, governmental
agencies, defense forces and private
industry. From hurricane tracking to oil
and gas exploration, earth observation
data is critical to many applications
that affect our daily lives.
To provide EO data, Low Earth Orbit
(LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
satellites have been launched into orbit
to provide optical and radar imaging
for analysis of the planet Earth.
EO satellites
EO satellites were designed for civil
applications such as environmental
monitoring, meteorology, cartography
and more. As a rule, EO satellites
Earth Orbit satellites, there are two
other important reasons. The first is
Kepler’s Law, which reasons that the
closer the orbit, the more frequent the
updates. The second is optical physics,
which delivers better imaging results
the closer the satellite is to the Earth’s
surface.
Of course, there’s always a downside.
Lower orbits result in greater
atmospheric drag meaning that some
kind of engine and fuel are required.
The smallsat market
Small satellites, or smallsats, typically
weigh in at under 500 kg. The major
reasons for the development of
smallsats are to reduce the high cost
of satellite production and launch
vehicles and to increase efficiency in
specific areas. For example, an array of
many miniature satellites is often more
effective than fewer, larger ones for
Earth Observation with Smaller Satellites
and Ground Stations
Mr. Gizunterman, Orbit Communications Systems Ltd
were designed to operate at altitudes
ranging from 450 to 800 km. Almost
total global coverage occurs in polar
orbits, where a typical LEO satellite
orbits the Earth every hour and a half
or so.
Below, for example, is a table of NASA
satellites, launch dates, altitudes and
primary objectives, supported by the
Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF). The ASF
is part of the NASA-managed Near
Earth Network (NEN) system of global
satellite-tracking ground stations.
NASA’s NEN provides telemetry,
ground-based tracking, data and
communications services to a
diverse range of customers, US and
international, governmental and
commercial, NASA (Earth Science,
Space Science and Human Explorations
missions) and non-NASA.
While many point out the low relative
cost of launching and operating Low
28 l New-Tech Magazine Europe